Doors or covers for pressure vessels



April 26, 1955 H. M. H. PICKARD DOORS OR COVERS FOR PRESSURE VESSELSFiled March 25, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l mWE V 1% 02% P/. CAM

United States Patent OfiFice 2,706,999

Patented Apr. 26, 1955 2,706,999 tion so that the valve cannot beopebnedhsince the handle 12 is revented from bein turned t e en a ementDOORS OR COVERS FOR PRESSURE VESSELS of the 19 with the Plat 2 y g gHenry Maurice Hattersley Pickard, Leeds, England 1 278 336 be opened byrotation of the handle 12, the piston 19 Apphcamm March 1952 Sena 0 10passing through the aperture 24 in the plate 22.

5 Claims. (Cl. 137-584) The embodiment illustrated in Figures 4-6 is theThis invention relates to doors or covers for pressure a li k 26 beingfitt d t a Square b 27 on h valve vessels, Such as kiers, autoclaves, ks, pa spindle. The link 26 is pivotal y connected at 28 to the ising Pand the like, of the kind described In Brltlsh connecting rod 17, theconstruction being otherwise the Specification N0 wherein a Series OfPIVOted same as described with reference to Figures l-3 When latchesdisposed around the mouth of the v ss l ar the handle 12 is in theposition shown in full lines, the adapted by partial movem nt f a i g tobe swung Into 2 door is fully locked, the piston 19 has passed throughand out of the operative position to allow the door to the aperture 24in the plate 22 and the valve is in be positioned and locked, the ringbeing mounted for position to admit fiuid under pressure to the interiorof rotational movement around the mouthpiece of the vesthe vessel. Withthe handle 12 in the position shown sel. in dotted lines, the door isnot yet in the fully locked In said specification there is described andclaimed a 2' condition, so that the piston 19 is out of alignment withpositively acting safety device in the form of a relief valve theaperture 24 in the plate 22, with the: result that the for a slightpressure to be built up inside the vessel if the t ird port of thethree-way valve 25. If desired, similar a slight pressure of only apound or two may give rise a three-way valve is of advantage inpreventing even a to a considerable load on a large door. very smallpiessure being built up inside the vessel due e principal ObJeCt of thepresent invention is to for example to leaky interior steam heatingpipes or the prevent such loads being built up on the (1001 smallpressure caused by the hot vessel warming up cold According to theinvention, in a door or cover of the air trapped in the vessel when thedoor is closed. kind described, a valve controlling the supply of fluidI Iaim; under pressure to the interior of a vessel is associated 1. In apressure vessel of the kind comprising a cover,

with the actuating ring in such manner that the valve pivotally mountedabout a lateral hinge axis a series of cannot be opened to admit fluidunder pressure to the pivoted latches disposed around the mouth of thevessel,

interior of the vessel until the door or cover has been and a ringmounted for rotational movement around the fully locked. mouth of thevessel to swing said latches into and out of According to the preferredembodiment, the said valve position to allow the cover to be lockedafter being swung is link-connected with a rod or piston in such mannerinto the closed position about said lateral hinge axis, the that thevalve cannot be opened until said rod or piston combination of a valvecontrolling the supply of fluid has passed through an aperture in aplate rigidly assounder piessure to the interior of the vessel, a platerigidly ciated with the actuating ring the ariangement being suchassociated with said ring, said plate having an aperture t at suchpassage of the rod or piston cannot occur until 1 crew, a rod slidablymounted so as to be capable of the actuating ring has assumed a positioncorresponding passing through said aperture when in alignment theretothe fully locked condition of the door or cover with, and a linkpivotally connected between said valve e invention will now be desciibedwith reference and said rod said rod being in alignment with said apertothe accompanying drawings, wherein ture when said ring has assumed aposition corresponding Figure l is a perspective view of one form of theto the fully locked condition of the cover, and said valve inventionwith the inlet valve closed, being in the open position only after saidrod has been Figure 2 is a corresponding view with the inlet valvepassed through said aperture. open, 2. In a pressure vessel of the kindcomprising a cover, Figure 3 is a diagrammatic corresponding end view,pivotally mounted about a lateral hinge axis, a series of and pivotedlatches disposed around the mouth of the vessel, Figures 4-6 arecorresponding elevation, plan and end 39 and a ring mounted forrotational movement around the views of another embodiment. mouth of thevessel to swing said latches into and out of Referring first to Figures1-3, there is shown a door of position to allow the cover to be lockedafter lbeing swung the kind described in specification No 412,700 andhavinto the closed position about said lateral hinge axis, the ingassociated theiewith a safety device of the kind decombination of avalve controlling the supply of fluid scribed therein, said safetydevice incorporating a relief :5 under pressure to the interior of thevessel, a plate rigidly valve A and operating mechanism B therefor. Sucha associated with said ring, said plate having an aperture safety deviceforms no part of the present invention therein, a sleeve fixed to saidvessel adjacent its mouth, a although it is to be understood that it maybe provided rod slidably mounted in said sleeve so as to be capable ofin addition to the safety device now to be described passing throughsaid aperture when in alignment there- A valve 10 is provided in thepressure fluid inlet line wit and a link pivotally connected betweensaid valve 1, said valve being provided with an actuating handle 12, andsaid rod said rod being in alignment with said aperwhich extendsradially from a cowling 13 which is roture when said ring has assumed aposition corresponding tatably supported by a bracket 14 secured to thewall of to the fully locked condition of the cover, and said valve thevessel. A link 15 is secured to the lower end of the being in the openposition only after said rod has been cowling 13 and said link ispivotally connected at 16 to 7 passed through said aperture. aconnecting rod 17 the other end of which is pivotally 3. A coveraccording to claim 1, wherein said valve connected at 18 to a piston 19which slides in a sleeve is a three-way valve which, when not inposition to admit 20 carried by a plate 21 fixed to the mouthpiece ofthe fluid to the interior of the Vessel, places said interior in vessel.A plate 22 is secured to the actuating ring 23 communication with theatmosphere.

of the door, the plate 22 having an aperture 24 therein 0 4. A pressurevessel having a mouth, a cover for said through which the piston 19 maypass when the ring mouth pivotally mounted about a lateral hinge axis, a

series of pivoted latches disposed around said mouth, a ring mounted forrotational movement around said mouth to swing said latches into and outof position to allow the cover to be locked after being swung into theclosed position about said lateral hinge axis, a valve controlling thesupply of fiuid under pressure to the interior of the vessel, 21 platerigidly associated with said ring, said plate having an aperturetherein, a rod slidably mounted so as to be capable of passing throughsaid aperture when in alignment therewith, and a link pivotallyconnected between said valve and said rod, said rod being in alignmentwith said aperture when said ring has assumed a the fully lockedcondition of the cover, and said valve being in the open position onlyafter said rod has been passed through said aperture.

5. A pressure vessel having a mouth, a cover for said mouth pivotallymounted about a lateral hinge axis, a series of pivoted latches disposedaround said mouth, a ring mounted for rotational movement around saidmouth to swing said latches into and out of position to allow the coverto be locked after being swung into the closed position about saidlateral hinge axis, a valve controlling the supply of fluid underpressure to the interior of the vessel, a plate rigidly associated withsaid ring, said plate having an aperture therein, a sleeve fixed to saidvessel adjacent its mouth, a rod slidably mounted in said sleeve so asto be capable of passing through said aperture when in alignmenttherewith, and a link pivotally connected between said valve and saidrod, said rod being irr alignment with said aperture when said ring hasassumed a position corresponding to the fully locked condition of thecover, and said valve being in the open position only after said rod hasbeen passed through said aperture.

Ahrens Oct. 9, 1923 Nelson Mar. 26, 1940

